Machinery for felting hat-bodies



UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

, S. S. MIDDLEBROOK, J. B. BLAKSLEE, AND C. F. BLAKSLEE, 0F NEWTOWN,CONNECTICUT.

MACHINERY "FOR FEL-[FING HAT-BODIES.

To all whom t may concern: f

Be it known that we, SIDNEY S. MIDDLE- BROOK, JAMEs B. BLAKSLEE, andCHARLES F. BLAKsLEE, of Newtown, in the county of Fairfield and State ofConnecticut, have invented a new and` Improved vMachine for FeltingHat-Bodies; and we do hereby de-V clare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to theannexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure1, is a longitudinal vertical section of our improved machine, the planeof section being through the center, as indicated by the line (x) Fig.2. Fig. 2, is a plan or top view of ditto.

Similar letters of reference indicate cor-v responding parts in the twofigures.

This invention relates to a new and improved machine for felting hatbodies, and consists in placing the hat bodies between two corrugatedbeds or plates, one of which has an up and down and also a lateralInovement, the other being stationary with the exception of a certainyielding or elastic movement, by which the hat bodies are subjected to arequisite pressure and to a rolling motion similar to that formerlygiven them by hand, and are perfectly felted.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use our invention, wewill proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A, represents a rectangular frame having two transverse shaftsB, B, on'its upper part which work in suitable bearings (a). Each shaft B, hastwo eccentrics C, C, upon it near its ends, the eccentrics beingencompassed by bands or clasps D, the lower parts of which are securedto the upper surface of a horizontal bed or plate E, which fits withinthe frame A. The under surface of the bed or plate E, is corrugated, thecorrugations being formed by transverse furrows or concaves (b) as shownin Fig. l. At one end of the shafts B, B, there are secured toothedwheels F, F, one on each shaft, and these wheels gear into a largerwheel G, hung upon one end of a shaft H, the wheel Cr, being between thetwo wheels F, F. Above the shaft H, there is a shaft O, having a pinionP, at one end which gears into the wheel Gr, and a crank pulley I, atits opposite end.

J, is a bed or plate placed within the frame A, and directly underneaththe bed or plate E. The bed or plate J, rests upon spiral springs K, K,a proper number being used. The springs K, are placed around rods L, thelower ends of which are secured to cross pieces (c) (c) to the frame A,the upper ends working in holes (d) (al) in the bed or plate J, see Fig.l. The upper surface of the bed or plate J, is corrugated, thecorrugations being formed by transverse inclined planes or step likeprojections (CZ) yas shown in Fig. 1.

The hat bodies designated by (e) Fig. l, are rolled up, a proper numbertogether, and placed between the beds or plates E, J, at one enddesignated by M, Fig. l, and motion being given the crank pulley I, theupper bed or plate E, by means of the eccentrics C, moves up and down,and also laterally and gives a rolling motion to the hat bodies whichare consequently forced along between the two beds or plates E, J, andout at the discharge end Q. The red lines in Fig. 1, show the bed orplate when depressed, and also the extent of the yielding of the bed orplate J. The lower bed or plate J,

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yields in consequence of the springs K, and

the two beds or plates are sufliciently near together to give therequired pressure to the hat bodies. The inclined planes or step likeprojections (d) prevent the hat bodies from being moved too quicklybetween the beds or plates.

vThe hat bodies are subjected to the same motion as that formerly giventhem by the hands before machines were invented, viz, a rolling motionunder a requisite pressure, and are felted in a perfect manner.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters'Patent, isl The employment or use of the two beds orplates E, J, corrugated on their inner surfaces substantially asshown,the upper bed or plate E, having, an up and down and also a lateralvibratory movement, given it by the cams C, or their equivalents, andthe lower bed J, being elastic or yielding, for the Vpurpose ofsubjecting hat bodies to a rolling motion under a vrequisite pressureand thereby thoroughly felting the same as herein described.

SIDNEY S. MIDDLEBROOK. JAMES B. BLAKSLEE. C. F. BLAKSLEE. Witnesses:

WM. Z. BLA'KSLEE, SAMUEL B. PECK.

